AwwwardsDigitalThinkingConference2018inSanFrancisco
20 inspiring talks, 3 themes: Expertise, Principles, and Passion! That was the Awwwards Conference in San Francisco. Gion and Christopher were there and brought back exciting insights. A visit to Yosemite National Park was the cherry on top!
Theme 1: Expertise
Translating design problems into calculable parameters
Lysandre Follet, Generative Design Director at Nike, shared that they were inspired by a very light yet stiff plankton when designing their shoes and tried to understand the parameters behind its structure. They analyzed every aspect of athletic tracking data for generative product design and developed algorithms that create seemingly endless solutions. These are first tested in simulations and then with real athletes. This highly iterative design process allows them to create the perfect design for every shoe size, foot shape, and running style, rather than just scaling the size 10 design (as was previously the case).
Creating tools
Tom Giannattasio from InVision talked about ergonomics in app/product development. An example of poor implementation is the "Save-for-Web-Claws." He opened his talk with "Animals are dumb. They don't know how to use tools." Then his presentation crashed three times...
What to consider in e-commerce design
Jenny Gove from Google spoke about Progressive Web Apps. These will no longer have disadvantages compared to native apps in the future, thanks to notifications, service workers, and local application cache.
Making technology more natural
Claudio Guglieri, Creative Director at Microsoft, demonstrated how to give a flat user interface more depth and a more natural perception through a 3D context with light sources and shadows.
Also interesting: Guglieri showed how Microsoft developed the system sounds known from Windows. It's best to watch this recording of his talk.
Design like a scientist
Navin Iyengar from Netflix discussed unbiased decision-making using A/B tests to improve the product in a data-driven/scientific way. It works quite well with 125 million users worldwide.
Theme 2: Principles
Making products faster and better
Demian Borba, Adobe XD, summarized the key insights about the iterative product design process of Adobe XD: "Everything will be alright in the end. If it's not, it's not the end."
Respect for the process
Tim Van Damme, Abstract, spoke about the design process...
Principle definition: Don't work alone at your screen, work in a team and then follow these steps:
1. Define the problem
2. Define the context
3. Find the idea
4. Group by topic
5. Compare (gather opinions/feedback)
6. A paper prototype is a solution for every topic
7. Set the direction
8. Then you start designing and moving pixels...
How they roll
Julia Khusainova, Airbnb, talked about the macro-interactions at Airbnb and the dynamics that an efficient team and process enable:
Principle #1: Align goals and feedback so everyone knows what to expect
Principle #2: Embrace challenges and accept feedback
Principle #3: Mutual support
Principle #4: Set boundaries
Principle #5: Celebrate results and people
Establishing principles to develop products quickly and well
Kurt Varner, Dropbox, encouraged experimentation and shared how he regularly invites people to speed dating to discuss rough concepts.
Salsa and good designs
Diogenes Brito, Slack, spoke about the role of a product designer.
The three characteristics that a designer should bring, in his opinion, to make high-level decisions:
Theme 3: Passion
Designing life and death
Aaron James Draplin, Draplin Design Co, talked about his life and work. With passion, everything is possible...
Giving people a chance and creating talents
Ryan Carson, Treehouse, showed no slides, he just told a story: He discovered that people were not even aware they had a chance in this industry before being hired at Treehouse - because they either didn't believe in themselves or simply didn't know these opportunities existed for them. Instead of paying headhunters $20,000, he invests in people and their potential. The investment pays off when the trainees become professionals and mentors - a new group of people who simply didn't know what they were capable of. In his opinion, people should not be hired based on their level of education, experience, or the like. Recognize the potential of each individual and then hire the person - that's his principle.
Just fucking do it
Chris Cloud spoke about Meow Wolf, an artist collective from Santa Fe, New Mexico. He showcased an immersive art experience that he launched together with George R. R. Martin and some other people. They invited various artists to set up their works in a former bowling alley. For example, there was a washing machine that was also the entrance to a slide! He also founded a Pizza Camp, had a TV show, and did a lot more crazy stuff. In the spirit of: "Just fucking do it."
Yosemite National Park - Meeting Yogi Bear
And that's it! After learning so much, we got a bit lost in Yosemite National Park, chatted with Yogi Bear, tasted his honey, and took photos that look like postcards...
